IN THE BEGINNING
Throughout
time, man has hunted with very primitive weapons -- fire hardened, pointed
sticks, clubs, and rocks. Somewhere
during that time, through an ingenious idea from a visionary, our ancestors
acquired the knowledge and talent for sharpening rocks by flaking them.
The knowledge swept the globe and raised the hunter to a new level of
existence. Larger animals
could now be hunted more effectively and procured in greater numbers.
Our
ancestors discovered some rocks, such as flints, cherts, agates, obsidian, etc.,
could be flaked more easily and produce much higher quality points.
Flint knapping became more than a necessary skill for survival.
It was taken to the highest levels of art produced by a few highly
regarded master craftsmen as illustrated by the points they left behind.
These and other projectile points that followed for thousands of years
were made with much more precision and beauty than was necessary for
effectiveness thus demonstrating the great talent of those ancient people.
As
nomadic man settled into different parts of the globe and began planting and
harvesting crops of different kinds, the great need for the hunt lessened,
thereby lessening the need for the highly skilled master knappers.
The masters were slowly replaced by the average hunter who possessed
enough skill to make crude projectile points which were still highly effective.
People
today view stone points in amazement and awe of how our ancestors lived for
thousands of years. It really
is no wonder we feel this way - these people were a very ancient, primitive part
of our heritage.
Modern
flint knappers try to create stone points with the same enthusiasm and skill as
the true craftsmen of the pre-historic past.
After being almost a lost art, a few people now possess the skill,
talent, and knowledge needed to reproduce the precious artifacts.
Even fewer, however, are able to make exceptional quality points using
the same methods and tools the great ones used eons ago.
Whether
you are a primitive archer who wishes to accept the ultimate challenge, or
someone who loves art work and wants to display beautifully detailed
reproductions of authentic artifacts, you will not be disappointed.
All
of my knife blades, lance points, and arrowheads are made by myself using select
materials such as flints, jaspers, agates, and obsidians.
These materials are obtained from many regions, and all are from areas
which were chosen by ancient craftsmen who knew the value of these high quality
lithic materials. Colors of these materials cover a broad range and some
are gem quality.